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The Pro Kabaddi League season seven auctions came to a close on the 9th of April as a total of 200 players received new deals across the two days of the mega auctions as the twelve teams spent a total of ₹50 crore overall.
U Mumba's ace raider from season six Siddharth Desai penned the second-costliest deal in the history of the PKL as the Telugu Titans broke the bank to secure his services for ₹1.45 crore while Puneri Paltan shelled out ₹1.20 crore to re-sign the services of Nitin Tomar.
Stalwarts such as Rahul Chaudhari (₹94 lakh) and Monu Goyat (₹93 lakh) were forced to settle for less owing to their moderate show last season while Sandeep Narwal raked in the riches as U Mumba paid out a sum of ₹89 lakh to add him to their roster.
In the foreign players' category, Iranians Mohammad Nabibakhsh (₹77.75 lakh- Bengal Warriors) and Abozar Mighani (₹75 lakh - Telugu Titans) claimed the top honors while Jang Kun Lee found a new team for the upcoming season as he was snapped up by the Patna Pirates for ₹40 lakh.
With a number of players switching loyalties to a couple of players finding their spot back in their season six franchise, we rate the twelve teams ahead of season seven of the Pro Kabaddi League.
U Mumba - 5/10
The season two winners retained skipper Fazel Atrachali and along with him youngsters such as Arjun Deshwal, Gaurav Kumar, Surinder Singh, and Rajguru Subramaniam. From the auctions, U Mumba shelled out a whopping ₹89 lakh for the services of Sandeep Narwal, while their next costliest purchase was Rohit Baliyan, who re-joined the team for a price of ₹35 lakh.
Strengths
The defensive unit is certainly the biggest strength with the two corner positions set to be occupied by two of the best in the world, Fazel Atrachali and Sandeep Narwal. Add Surinder Singh's aggression to the mix, the trio could form a good combination.
Weaknesses
Good quality raiders, who can strike big.
Last season, U Mumba had Siddharth Desai in their ranks and he single-handedly won matches for U Mumba. However, with Desai no more a part of the team, the onus will be on Rohit Baliyan to assume the lead raiders' role and for support will be the likes of Athul MS, Abhishek Singh amongst others, who are yet to prove their full potential.
Haryana Steelers - 5.5/10
The Steelers opted to let go of their record signing Monu Goyat and also skipper from last season in Surender Nada while retaining Vikash Kandola and Kuldeep Singh, both of whom starred for them last season.
Seasoned raider Prashant Kumar Rai (₹77 lakh) was their biggest buy while the addition of Dharmaraj Cheralthan for ₹38.5 lakh was yet another notable purchase. Naveen, who was in prime form for the Steelers last season as a third raider was also brought back for ₹33.5 lakh.
Strengths
The raiding unit wears a solid look with the presence of Vikash Kandola and Prashant Kumar Rai in the mix along with Selvamani K. Kandola and Rai will be looking to form a good partnership and with Naveen bound to play the same role as last season, the raiding duties look to be in safe hands.
Weaknesses
The corner positions will be taken by Dharamaraj Cheralathan and Kuldeep Singh but what remains an area of concern is the lack of sturdy defenders in the middle. Vikas Kale had an off-season with the Pirates last season while Parveen looked a little too unsure with his tackles. Ravi Kumar's addition could prove to be a difference but in the end, the cover defenders will need to up their game.
Puneri Paltan - 6/10
The Paltan started off on a clean slate in the auctions, having only retained Shubham Shinde, Sandeep, and Amit Kumar prior to the proceedings.
With two 'Final Bid Match' cards at their disposal, the Paltan used the cards to procure back the services of two of their best players from last season in Nitin Tomar (₹120 lakh) and Girish Ernak (₹33 lakh). With two big guys in the form of Manjeet (₹63 lakh) and Surjeet Singh (₹56 lakh), Pune now had a core to build a team around.
Strengths
The team wears a decent overall look with some good raiders in the team such as Nitin Tomar, Darshan Kadian, and Pawan Kumar Kadian. Manjeet's ability to pluck raid points adds an extra plus to their team while Surjeet's presence in the right cover is certain to boost the team confidence.
Weaknesses
While Girish Ernak and Surjeet certainly add might to the defensive unit, support for these two stars could prove to be an issue with the other defenders on the team yet to prove their worth on the big stage. While the issue might not be a pressing one, it could come to bite them during the season.
Telugu Titans - 6/10
The Titans made a host of retentions as they held back the likes of Iranian Farhad Milagardhan, left corner defender Krushna Madane, and talented raiders in Armaan and Kamal Singh.
With Rahul Chaudhari's form seeing a decline with each passing season, the Titans' strategy seemed clear as they placed a hefty price tag on the newest sensation in Siddharth Desai, procuring his services for ₹145 lakh. The two 'FBM' cards on offer were used to re-sign Abozar Mighani (₹75 lakh) and Vishal Bhardwaj (₹60 lakh). None of the other players even crossed the ₹10 lakh margin as the Titans seemed content on the stars they had at their disposal.
Strengths
A very competitive starting seven will be the biggest plus for the Titans, with big names such as Siddharth Desai, Abozar Mighani, Vishal Bhardwaj and Farhad Milagardhan forming the core of the team.
Weaknesses
The lack of support in times of need for either Siddharth Desai or the two corner players could be a cause of concern. With Rahul Chaudhari and Nilesh Salunke out of the equation, the onus will be on young guns Armaan and Kamal Singh to feature as the secondary raider, that could be a tough prospect for the Titans.
Bengal Warriors - 6.5/10
The Warriors retained Maninder Singh, Ravindra Ramesh Kumawat from the raiders' lot while Baldev Singh and Adarsh T's impressive shows during season six also saw them being retained for the seventh season.
From the auctions, the Warriors made an early impression and a big one at that as they signed Iranian all-rounder Mohammad Nabibakhsh for a whopping ₹77.75 lakh while K Prapanjan proved to be their second costliest purchase at ₹55.5 lakh. Adding teeth to the defensive unit, Jeeva Kumar (₹31 lakh) and Rinku Narwal (₹20 lakh) rounded up the Warriors' major purchases.
Strengths
A tough-looking raiding unit with the presence of Maninder Singh, K Prapanjan and Sukesh Hegde bound to play vital roles, with a couple of useful contributions from Iranian import Nabibakhsh and 'FBM' signee Rakesh Narwal.
Weaknesses
The addition of veteran defender Jeeva Kumar certainly adds experience to the defensive unit but what remains to see is how Nabibakhsh, making his debut in the PKL, strikes a chord with his team-mates.
Baldev Singh's slight inconsistency could be a problem, while the lack of bench strength in case of an injury to the lead defenders will be yet another issue on the whole for the Warriors.
Bengaluru Bulls - 7/10
The defending champions from season six made a couple of important retentions as they retained faith in three of mainstays from last season in skipper Rohit Kumar, Pawan Kumar Sehrawat and Ashish Kumar Sangwan.
Mahender Singh's contract worth ₹80 lakh was their only major signing from the auction apart from which the addition of raider Vijay Kumar (₹21.25 lakh) was the other notable signing as the Bulls will look a similar side for season seven.
Strengths
The core of retained players is certain to work well for the Bulls, with a lot of players having formed strategies for the whole of last season. Pawan Sehrawat and Rohit Kumar will yet again take up a majority of the raiding duties, while Mahender Singh and Ashish Sangwan's alliance will be something to watch out for.
Weaknesses
What the Bulls might miss in their ranks is the lack of support on the raiding front, in case either Pawan Sehrawat fails to repeat his magic from the previous season or Rohit Kumar finds it hard to bail the team out of trouble. Worse, if both have a bad day, the only other back-up options are Vijay Kumar, Vinod Kumar, and Sumit Malik, all three of whom have not been tested under pressure situations.
Dabang Delhi K.C - 7/10
Dabang Delhi, as was the strategy right through had just the one focus, which was to retain a majority of the team from the sixth season. Having kept faith on Joginder Narwal, Meraj Sheykh, and Naveen Kumar, Delhi went into the auctions with a clear strategy in place.
The only major bids were for the re-signing of two of their most prolific players from last season in Chandran Ranjit (₹70 lakh) and Ravinder Pahal (₹61 lakh), both of whom were brought back with the 'FBM' card. Vijay Malik's addition to the team for ₹41 lakh added more light to the fact that the defensive unit was seeing a face-lift, including the addition of Vishal Mane for ₹28.5 lakh.
Strengths
Without a shadow of a doubt, the re-signing of the best performers from last season. Such is the team from the auction that Delhi can play their starting seven similar to what they fielded in season six, with only Vishal being replaced by a sturdy all-rounder in Vijay Malik.
Weaknesses
The bench seems to be devoid of too many big names, which could be a problem if one of the core players is unavailable. Sombir, Anil Kumar and Saeed Ghaffari are all primarily defenders and the absence of a quality raider apart from the aforementioned three would be the major issue.
Gujarat Fortune Giants - 7.5/10
The Fortune Giants retained the duo of Sachin Tanwar and Sunil Kumar from the sixth season, while also keeping faith on young Rohit Gulia and Lalit Chaudhary.
Having bought back the services of Parvesh Bhainswal for ₹75 lakh, the Fortune Giants made a couple of other big buys such as Ruturaj Koravi (₹30.5 lakh), GB More (₹21.5 lakh) and all-rounder Vinod Kumar (₹26 lakh). With the addition of Iranian raider Abolfazl Maghsoudlou up-front for ₹15.75 lakh, the auctions did pan well for the season six runners-up.
Strengths
The cover duo alliance of Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal will yet again play into the strategy of the Fortune Giants, while Vinod Kumar's helping hand in the defensive unit, along with the fearless dives and tackles from Ruturaj Koravi could be a big talking point.
Weaknesses
While the Gujarat Fortune Giants do not have too much of an issue on paper, the only issue would be to observe who would fit into the left corner and left-in positions. With both Abolfazl and More GB not too keen on tackling, only one would partner Sachin Tanwar which could mean that an added pressure would be on Vinod Kumar to contribute with raid points as well.
UP Yoddha - 7.5/10
The UP Yoddha let go of most their star performers from last season as the only two notable inclusion in the list of retained players were corner defenders Nitesh Kumar and Sachin Kumar.
In the auctions, the Yoddha focussed on building a strong team of raiders as the likes of Monu Goyat (₹93 lakh), Shrikant Jadhav (₹68 lakh), Rishank Devadiga (₹61 lakh) were added to the roster, while Iranian Mohsen Maghsoudlou's services were also picked up for ₹21 lakh.
Strengths
The raiding unit wears a commanding look with Monu Goyat, Shrikant Jadhav and the returning Rishank Devadiga bound to make matters difficult for opposition defenders. Add to the mix Mohsen Maghsoudlou and the Yoddha can certainly rely on their raiders for a bulk of points.
Weaknesses
UP Yoddha have at their disposal the tried and tested corner duo of Nitesh Kumar and Sachin Kumar but lack more firepower in the defensive unit, with Jeeva Kumar switching teams. Narender looked patchy last season and if either of the Kumars' fails to show, the Yoddha could certainly find themselves in trouble.
Jaipur Pink Panthers - 8/10
Having retained a set of top-performers from the sixth season such as Deepak Niwas Hooda, Sandeep Dhull and Nitin Rawal, the Pink Panthers only needed to add a couple of more match-winners to their side, which is exactly what transpired.
Amit Hooda's credentials were enough for the Pink Panthers to splurge ₹53 lakh on the right corner and with the defensive unit taken care of, the addition of Nilesh Salunke (₹23.5 lakh) and Deepak Narwal (₹30.5) was a big boost to the raiding unit.
With Sunil Siddhgavali proving his might last season, the Pink Panthers rightfully invested ₹20 lakhs on the defender, while also roping in talented cover defender Vishal for ₹20.25 lakh.
Strengths
The raiding unit is filled with a number of match winners such as Deepak Hooda, Nilesh Salunke and Deepak Narwal. Add to that the exuberance of Nitin Rawal, Ajinkya Pawar and Lokesh Kaushik, the offense looks formidable.
Weaknesses
The team selection from a galaxy of superstars could prove to be a major challenge, if not a weakness for the Pink Panthers. Last season, Nitin Rawal's positioning as a left corner proved to be without effect and this would be, probably the only issue for the Panthers.
Patna Pirates - 8.5/10
The Patna Pirates made some expected retentions ahead of the season as Pardeep Narwal, Jawahar Dagar and Vikas Jaglan were retained ahead of the auctions.
From the auctions, the Pirates made some impressive buys in the form of Surender Nada (₹77 lakh), Jang Kun Lee (₹40 lakh) and Mohammad Maghsoudlou (₹35 lakh). However, the biggest takeaway was their ₹44.75-worth contract for Neeraj Kumar, who has hardly had an experience in the league.
Strengths
Pardeep Narwal's formidable raiding will now have a much more dependable support system in the form of Jang Kun Lee, who's pyrotechnics while raiding has not gone unnoticed. Iran's Mohammad Maghsoudlou was in prime form during the 2018 Asian Games and will add yet another dimension to the Pirates' raiding attack.
Weaknesses
The right corner's position was a matter of concern for Patna last season as Jawahar's inefficiency saw him go in and out of the team. Apart from that, the fact that Pardeep Narwal and Jang Kun Lee are both left raiders could make it easier for teams to form a strategy, the only other issue in the team.
Tamil Thalaivas - 9/10
The Thalaivas made some crucial retentions ahead of the season as they held back the services of skipper Ajay Thakur, seasoned all-rounder Manjeet Chhillar and Kenya-based raider Victor Obiero prior to the auctions.
Undoubtedly their biggest signing was that of Rahul Chaudhari (₹94 lakhs), who will partner Ajay Thakur to form a mouth-watering raiding combination, while the addition of Mohit Chhillar (₹45 lakh) and Ran Singh (₹55 lakh) could prove to be a masterstroke in the upcoming season.
Strengths
The Thalaivas have acres of experience in the team and with that, an envious starting seven as the raiding duties will be taken up by Rahul Chaudhari and Ajay Thakur while the defensive unit will feature the likes of Manjeet Chhillar, Mohit Chhillar, and Ran Singh.
Weaknesses
The one weakness in this team of superstars would be the lack of talent on the sidelines. While Shabeer Bapu does bring in some quality, the substitute defenders are yet to be tested on the biggest stage, that is the PKL, which could cause a few problems if the big names have an off-day or season as well.
